Possible stupid question - Boeing/Douglas???

[jack.raven]

I am not a plane spotter of any sorts but I always thought the DC-8, DC-9 and so on were made by douglas... but they are on the Boeing website under Boeing "out of production" models.
Are they the same company or am i miss understanding something.
I apologise for my lack of knowledge in the area.

Oh and I wasn't sure if this was the right area for this post.....

Thanks
Jack

[boredcounter]

Bought out by the later, who now has to support the model?

[jack.raven]

Ohhh ok thanks, Boeing bought them out and then discontinued all models?
Thankyou

[CV880]

By the time Boeing took over Douglas (or MacDonnell Douglas as it was named since the late 60's) in the early 2000's virtually all its civil aircraft models were out of production with the proposed MD12 abandoned and only late versions of the MD80/90 (which were DC9 derivatives) and the USAF's C17 still in production. A classic case of a company that hung on to producing derivatives of aging designs and not investing in new one's (or not being able to raise the money to go ahead with new one's).
Boeing is now responsible for the product support of all these Douglas airliners.
Similarly you will today see references to the Boeing F15 and F18 and C17 military aircraft which were also all MacDonnell Douglas products.

[Graybeard]

Now the folks up north even call it a Boeing DC-3!

[jack.raven]

Thanks CV880 was very helpfull

[Graybeard]

One you didn't mention, CV880: the MD-95, which became the Boeing 717 after beginning production and before first delivery. It is an updated DC9-30 with BMW/RR engines.

BTW, a big factor in success of A320 vs. 737 is a choice of engines on the 320, which makes that big part of the plane highly competitive for first orders. The engine makers have been known to supply the engines gratis on initial plane orders, to get the follow-on business. On the 737 and DC-9 families, you've never had a choice.

GB

[Mansfield]

I was attending periodic meetings at Douglas at the time of the merger. I recall driving into the Long Beach plant less than a week after the announcement and being slightly shocked at how quickly they had changed the signs. All of the in-ground and on-building signs had been changed to Boeing, and even the vehicles seem to have Boeing on the doors. I thought at the time that it was a bit insulting. It's one thing to occupy the enemy's cities after they surrender, but this was a corporate merger...

But who am but a humble former TWA pilot, anyway? Besides, unless you're flying a MD-3, that MD-80 is a DC-9-80! Get those branding people outta here!

[CV880]

Hi Graybeard, I skipped the MD95/B717 for simplicity.
Mansfield, I first fronted up at Long Beach with a DC8 customer airline just after the MacDonnell takeover and remember seeing a corporate instruction about the new company which declared that it was to abbreviated to MDC, not M.D.C. (no periods) and "Mac-Dac" was absolutely forbidden!!
Cheers

[Graybeard]

One more, CV880: McDonnell Duck. Saying that would get you fired, so the troops just walked around going, "Quack, Quack."

[Graybeard]

Mansfield, the DC9-80 name was to keep peace with ALPA, as McDuck had promised no "new" planes with two crew. After it was found that two crew 737s had the best safety record in the sky, ALPA relented, and the name was changed to what would have been the original intent: the M-D for the 1980s.

One major supplier I know bet they would only sell 40 or 50 of the -80 so refused to bid on any systems. They were only wrong by about 2,400.

GB